The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is one of the least less developed countries. G. N. P. per head was only 270 U. S. dollars in 1978. This country has, however, two rich natural resources; the high-grade iron ore and one of the richest marine fishing grounds.
Since 1959, many foreign fishing fleets from Japan, Spain, Italy, Korea, Soviet Union etc., have been operating to catch fish in this marine fishing ground. The catch consists mostly of mackerels, sardines, shads, breams octopuses, and crawfishes. In 1976, total catch reached to 1570 thousand tons in the Sahara coastal division.
Since 1972, the government of Mauritania has limited the number of foreign trawlers and levied the tax on trawlers by means of expansion of the territorial waters, to protect the national fishery resource and to grant the profit to Mauritanian fishermen.
Mauritanian fishery is classified as follows:
(A) Modernized fishery (trawlers fishing managed by Maurutanian companies)
(B) Local fisheries.
(a) Freshwater fishing in the river of Senegal.
(b) Seasonal migrant fishing by the Imuraquen.
(c) Local coastal fishing by the Wolof in Mauritania.
The Japanese government is making the financial and technical aids to (b) and (c). The local coastal fishermen are organizing cooperatives.